MIDDLESBROUGH head coach Aitor Karanka is ready to make a move for Patrick Bamford if, as expected, Chelsea recall the striker from a loan spell at Burnley.

On an another busy day of transfer activity, Boro rubber-stamped the temporary departure of Julien de Sart and Tomas Mejias yesterday, and confirmed the signing of Finnish striker Mikael Soisalo, who will join their academy squad.

However, with Rudy Gestede having trained with his new team-mates for the first time following a £6m switch from Aston Villa, Karanka’s main priority continues to be the remodelling of his side’s attack.

Jordan Rhodes and David Nugent are both available for sale this month, and while Gestede will provide some much-needed support to Alvaro Negredo, Karanka is keen to bring in another attacker to ensure he is not short of options in the second half of the season.

As things stand, Bamford is not available because he is only halfway through a season-long loan at Burnley. However, Chelsea officials are extremely frustrated at the striker’s lack of involvement at Turf Moor, and are ready to invoke a clause enabling them to recall him to Stamford Bridge.

Bamford has made just six Premier League appearances for Burnley this season, and is yet to make his first start for Sean Dyche’s side, and Chelsea boss Antonio Conte does not want the 23-year-old to stagnate on the Clarets’ substitutes’ bench.

He does not foresee a place for him in Chelsea’s match-day squad, but would rather give him an opportunity to compete for a starting spot elsewhere in the second half of the season.

Karanka, who is a long-standing admirer of Bamford, is aware of the situation, and Chelsea officials have been alerted to Boro’s potential interest if the striker becomes available before the end of the month.

Bamford scored 17 goals in 38 Championship appearances for the Teessiders during the 2014-15 season, and Karanka regards the England Under-21 international’s performances as the key factor behind his side’s successful run to the play-off final.

Bamford was named Championship Player of the Year during his season at the Riverside, and Karanka tried to re-sign him the following summer, only for Crystal Palace to lure him to Selhurst Park with the promise of a chance in the Premier League.

Bamford has spent time at Palace, Norwich and Burnley since leaving Teesside, but while he has been unable to hold down a place at any of those clubs, Karanka remains convinced he is capable of succeeding in the top-flight.

Speaking ahead of Boro’s Boxing Day trip to Turf Moor, Karanka said of Bamford: “Two years ago, he wasn’t just a good player here, he was the best player in the league. So I have been surprised that he couldn’t play for three teams.

“When he came here he was young and didn’t have experience in the Championship, but he was still successful.”

A number of Championship clubs including Derby and Wolves have also expressed an interest in signing Bamford for the second half of the season, but Boro will hope that the opportunity to remain in the top-flight, plus the strength of the striker’s relationship with Karanka, sways things their way.

Derby remain interested in signing Rhodes, and if the Scotland international moves to the Ipro Stadium before the end of the month, he will find himself reunited with de Sart, who joined the Rams on a season-long loan yesterday.

De Sart joined Boro from Belgian side Standard Liege last January, but has been unable to force his way into Karanka’s first-team plans. His only senior appearance of the current campaign came in August’s EFL Cup second-round defeat to Fulham, but he will go straight into the Derby squad for tomorrow’s FA Cup third-round game with West Brom.

“Julien is a player I know from Standard Liege in Belgium,” said Derby boss Steve McClaren. “I followed him a bit when I was in charge at FC Twente a few years ago. He is a proper controller and a good footballer. He is also a good passer as well.

“We are a little bit short in that area, and we certainly would have been in trouble if Bradley Johnson had been suspended or injured, having no cover to replace him.”

Mejias has joined Spanish Segunda Division side Rayo Vallecano on a six-month loan, having fallen to fourth in Boro’s goalkeeping pecking order.

The former Real Madrid shot-stopper has not made a single senior appearance for Karanka’s side this season, and only featured in cup competitions last year.

While two players left yesterday, Boro were able to confirm the signing of 18-year-old striker Soisalo from Finnish top-flight side Ilves Tampere.

Soisalo, who scored seven goals and claimed six assists during the 2016 Veikkausliiga, has been capped at Under-19 level and will join Paul Jenkins’ development squad.

Boro’s academy recruitment drive will continue in the next few days, with deals in the pipeline for Argentinian trio Pedro Silva Torrejon, Julian Chicco and Matias Roskopf. Torrejon, a 19-year-old left-back, is the most developed of the three players, having already played in the first team at Boca Juniors.